Apparatus for the electrical long-distance control of the valve-gear of a hydraulic gun-pointing gear



w. AKEMANN. APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRICAL LONG DISTANCE CONTROL OF THEVALVE GEAR OF A HYDRAULIC GUN POINTIN'G GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED sums. 1920.

1,375,269. Patented m. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET T.

W. AKEMANN. APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRICAL LONG DISTANCE CONTROL OF THEVALVE GEAR OF A HYDRAULIC GUN POINTING GEAR. APPLICA'IION FILED SEPT. 3.I920.

1,375,269. Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W Fig '2 6 I /l I f 4, wgw F l m A Z m f f III 10.: v l-4- X 1p L lWALTHER AKEMANN, OF ESSEN GERMANY, ASSIGNOR '10 FRIED. KR'U'PP ,AKTIEN-GESELIISCHAFT, OF ESSEN-DN-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

Arrnnnrhs ron'. THE ELECTRICAL none-ms'rmcn CONTROL or run VALVE-GEAR orA. HYDRAULIC Gumrom'rme GEAR.

Specification of Ilettersfatent.

Application filed September-.3, 1920; Serial No. 408,070.

To all whom it mm'yconccm:

Be it known that I, WALTHER AKEMANrI, residing atEssen, Germany, acitizen of the German Republic, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for the Electrical Lon -Distance Control of theValve-Gear of a fiydraulic Gun-Pointing Gear, of which the following isa specification. 1

This invention relates to such an arrangement for the electrical longdistance control of the valve gear of a hydraulic gun pointing gear,which enables a. particularly-accurate adjustment of the gun barrel tobe obtained. A somewhat similar structure is described and. illustratedin my co-pending- 'erenc to the accompanying drawings which show anarrangement for the electrical long distance-control of the .valve gearof a hyraulic gun elevating gear.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partially in section of the inventiomj;

F1 2 is a horizontal sectiomgthnough a detai part on'a larger scale,ldoking from below and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,looking; in the direction of the arrow as.

is mounted by meansof its trunnions a in a cradle A In order that theelevation can be imparted to the barrel A it is pivactin hydrauliccylinder A which cylinder is pivotally mounted at a and is connected'bypipes a and a with electrically-controlled cut-off devices B and O whichare constructed in the form of valves. It 1s also connected by pipes 01and 2 which branch oiffrom the pipes a and a,

to a controll'ng valve D adapted to be 01:)-

elfated by hand and which is provided with pipe at for water underpressure and a pipe 01 for exhausting the water and also with a handwheel d with which to operate-it.

Valyes b and c of the cut-off devices Q 'zalre held in 'their closedpositions by these springs by" means of magnet cores 6 excitablewindings b? and 0*. Pipes 6 and transmitter shaft h.

B and;

0 connect the cut-ofi' devic'es B and G with the-casing of, a.controllin valve adapted for long distance control which is providedwith a pipe 6 for admitting water under pressure and a pipe 6 forexhausting the water.

The movable part of the controlling valve E consists of a piston rod cprovided with three controlling pistons 6 e and e rigidly mountedthereon and the free end of which terminates in a rack e Into the rack 6gears a toothed sector P, which forms part of a earing, which iscontained inacasing F an is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and which will bemore fully described hereinafter. The said gearing is for-the' purposeof rendering the movements of'the piston rod 6 of the controlling--valve E on the one hand dependent on the receiver motor G of anelectrical long distance controlling apparatus and on the other handdependent on th gun barrel A.'- v

The long distance controlling apparatus has a transmitter H (see Fig. 1)WhIChjS set up 'at the observing station and which is constructed in thewell known way so that the continuous current supplied to it through'conduc'tors it is transformed into three dephased currents of variablestrength.

A denotes the-barrel of a navalgun which These'three dephased currentsof variable strength are supplied by a three-phase long distanceconductor J to the receiver-G, which is constructed as a synchronousmotor and receives its continuous current excitation from a local mainK. The armature of the transmitter H is rotated by a milled head it? anda hand wheel h which are positively connected to the middle wheels h andh" respectively of a sun and planet gear in the manner illustrated inFig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The planet wheel 72, of the gear ismounted on a bent arm on the This rotation of the armature of thetransmitter H is transmitted through the conductor J to the armature ofedto be rotated by the milled head 72?, is spr ngs-lbflandjc and can bedrawn into 1311611 open posit ons against the pressure of provided witha reading off apparatus if it which indicates the adjusted range of thetarget and is used when the transmitter H is to have a rotation impartedto it which corresponds to the ran e of the target. The

adjust ng apparatus w ich is adapted to be the receiver motor G and tothe gun barrel whcn this latter assumes ,its central A and which issubstantially inclosed in the casing F is shown in Figs. 2 and 3- The"said gearing consists of two worm gears f f and f f mounted in bearingsin the casing F and of which one f f is positively connected through agearing f f to the shaft g? of the receiver (see also Fig.' 1) and theother through a gearing 'f f a a? a a a to the elevating sector a of thegun barrel. The-two worm gears are con nectedby a sun and planet gear1'' f f with an apparatus, which regulates the stroke of the piston rod6. of the controlling valve E and which willhereinafter be termed thestroke apparatus.

This stroke apparatus contains a drum f carried in bearings andadapted'to also rotate with its shaft 7 in the casing, the axis. ofrotation of which drum coincides with the common axis of rotation of theworm wheels f and f and the drum is provided on its outer surface with arib f which runs helically. This rib f being of greater externaldiameter over the part, which. extends over the top halfof the length ofthe drum than that which extends over the other 'half. The transitionfrom one diameter to the other takes place at a part of the rib marked7" in Fig. 3 and extends over only comparatively short part of the rib fAgainst the rib f bears a roller P which laterally embraces the rib andwhich is movably mounted on a bolt 7" running parallel with'the axis ofrotation of the drum f. This bolt 7" is fixed on a forked lever arm f ofa double armed lever which is mounted to oscillate on the casing F aboutan axis, which islikewise parallel with the axis of rotation of the drum7 and the other lever arm 7 of which cafrrieson that part of it whichprojects from the casing the already mentioned toothed sector (P) 'whichengages with the rack f ofthe piston rod 6. The lever arm 7 is acted onby a tension spring a rubbing brush is of one of the forked which isconstructed as attached to an extension arms of the lever 7" f aflexible conductor f to a terminal f. The twofixed circuit closingpieces 7* and 7 are arranged .in-the distance from the circuit-closingpiece 7 position tl1at' contact between the movable and one of the fixedcircuit closing devices can only .take place when the lever f f hasrotated through an angle in which the valve rod (4 has passed over adistance corresponding to the'covering of the valve.

The terminal f is connected by a conductor 71: (see Fig. net windings band a and a conductor is with one pole of a bipolar switch K the otherpole of which is connected across'a conductor'lc which branches off intotwo conductors 70 and 70 with the two fixed circuit closing pieces f and7 The switch K is for the purpose of establishing connection between themagnet windings I) and If of the cut ofi devices and the local main K,and is for this purpose connected to the vmain K by conductors 70 and7c".

The switch K is connected by an automatically acting locking device(not-shown) with the hand wheel d of the hand oper ated controllingvalve D in such a way that the hand .wheel d can only be moved when theswitch K is opened. Such automatic locking devices are very common'inthe art,

vso that the particular construction of the locking device employed inthe present invention need not therefore be more fully,v

described.

In the consideration of the working of the above described arrangementthe description thereof will be commenced from the assumption that thegun barrel A has casing F at such a.

1 also) to the parallel magand is connected by Y already had anelevation imparted to it I which corresponds to a fixed range adjustedon the transmitter H and that the controlling valve is in its centralposition and the switch K is in the closed position. Furthermore let itbe assumed-- that the ship takes up a horizontal floating position.

If nowthe barrel A is to be first brought for the purpose of loading thegun into the horizontal position and afterward into the 1 7 attached tothe casing and which tends I .the roller the rib f.

to rotate the lever f ff in such a way that f bears with pressureagainst previous position. again, the switch K is brought into theopened position shown in Fig. 1. This causes the circuits leading to thecut off devices B and C to be broken and the cut of? devices B and Ctherefore assume under the action of the springs 12 and 0 their closedpositions shown in Fig.-.

1.- The hand wheel d of the controlling valve 1) is now rotated in sucha direction that the controlling valve D Opens in the desired direction,that is to say, that water under pressure can pass through the pipes dt,d anda into the cylinder A", In con the pipe d which carries it away. Bymeans of a return apparatus such as a spring (not Now I rel A shown) thecontrolling valve D is at the same time returned to its centralposition, as soon as the gun barrel A has reached the horizontalposition.

During the above described movement of thegun barrel A out of the firingposition into the loading position the controlling valve E has alsopassed into a position which deviates from its middle position.

as during the movement of the bar- I the toothed sector a has also beenmoved the shaft f positively connected to the toothed sector a by thegearing f", a, a a", a and a, has set the. gearing f", f (see Fig. 2)contained in the casing in motion and thereby eifected a displacement ofthe planet wheel f and the drum f onnected therewith. On the rotation ofH the 'm'. f, which takes place in the opposite direction to thatindicated by'the arrow 3 (see Fi .3) the roller 7 ismoved on its bolt faxla-lly downward by the action of the rib f and passes out of theposition shown in Fig. 3 in which it is pressed against the transitionfrom its smaller to its larger diameter denoted by f (see Fig. 3) intoanew position, in which it bears against the part of the rib 1'' which isof the smaller diameter. The double-armed lever f, 7f is. accordinglyrotated about its pivot point and passes into a position in which itscircuit-closing iece f touches the fixed circuit-closing The rotation ofthe lever f f causes inits turn through j the medium of the rack gear 7e- 'ay'move ment of the rod 6 downward, so that the controlling valve E(see Fig. 1) passes into one of. its open positions in which the pipe erleading from the pressure reservoir communicates with the pipe 6 Themovement of the controlling valve E into its open position does notyethowever exert any influences on the gun barrel A, because the circuitsfor opening the cutoff devices B and C are still broken by the openedswitch K and the cut-off devices B 'and Cf are; in their closedpositionsin which, even when the controlling valve E is open, no-fluid underpressure can pass I through to the cylinder A closin If now after thegun barrel which is in the horizontal position has been loaded, the

witch K? be closed, then, as when the lever f f is in the positionstated, the circuit pieces f and f touch the ci i'cuit K 26 10k 16 f band a k K k K are closed and the mageach other,

net coils b3 and 0 become supplied with the pipe 6 and thence throughthe opened cut-ofl device B and through the pipe a into the cylinder Awhereat the piston a begins to rise and rotates the gun barrel A in thedirection ofv the elevation of its muzz'le, whileat the same time thewater under pressure displaced in the cylinder A by the piston a flowsthrough the pipe at", through the opened cut-ofi' device C, the pipe 0and.

the controlling valve E to the pipe e which carriesit away.

The above mentioned rotation of the gun barrel A results in a rotationof the shaft 7 and together with it of the drum f through the medium ofthe gearing a a a a d a f f f f f f. in a direction of rotation whichcorresponds to the direction 01 rotation of the arrow 3 (see Fig. 3).The roller 7 accordingly again approaches the rib f on the drum noted byf (see Fig. 3) and, as soon as it has again passed out of the positionshown .in Fig. 3 rotates the lever f 7" into its central position(likewise shown in Fig. 3) and in, which the contact between thecircuitclos'ing piece f and 7, which still just exists is broken orinterrupted and the piston rod of the controlling valve E is returned toits central'position .as shown in Fig. 1. The magnet coils 6* and c areat this time devoid of current, and the cut-off devices B and C veryrapidlyassume their .closed position under the action of thecorresponding springs b ando The admissionof waterunder pressure into.the cylin der A above mentioned therefore stops as both the controllingvalve E and also the cut-off devices B-"and Care closed, and the f withthe transition are de-' gun barrel A therefore remains stationary.

justment, then the graduated drum h" first rotates until the desiredrange value is.op'-' posite the mark h. With the drum h however rotatesalso the armature of the transmitte'r Hpositively connected thereto, and

the. armature of. the receiver G, which is connected by the longdistance transmission conductor J, assumes also the corresponding whichis of smaller diameter and by position. By this means the shaft 9' andwith it the drum f of the stroke appara- -tus are set in rotationthrough the medium of the gearing f f '7 fif 'f f f. The drum i is againable to rotate in the direction'of thearrowy, (see Fig. 3);

.Under the action of the spring f the;

, roller 7, which hitherto was in contact with the'transition arc of therib f denoted by f, slides down over the part of the rib which means thelever arm flipasses Into sure from the pipe 6 into the pipe 6 At thismoment the circuit-closing pieces 7 and f come into contact with eachother, and the circuits which contain the magnet windings?) and 0* areclosed. The 'cut-ofi such a position that the circuit-closing piece fmounted thereon approaches the fixed circuit-closing piece :f, while thelever arm f and the toothed sector f mounted on its lower endca-usea'movement of the rack 6 and. consequently of the piston rod 6 of thecontrolling valve E in the direction in which'the controlling valvev cbegins to per-. mit the admission of thewater under presdevices B and Care therefore raisedout of the closed position, into the open position.

The water under pressure passes out of the pipe 6 through thecontrolling valve 13 into'the pipe b and from thislatter through theopened cut-oil device B into the pipe at and so into the cylinder A Thepiston a consequently rises and imparts an 35 i water under pressuredisplaced by the piston a flows-away in the manner hereinbeelevationmovement to the gun barrel. The

fore described. The, roller f of the stroke apparatus has simultaneouslypassed completely onto the lower portion of the rib f of the drum f andconsequently the lever f 'f and the piston rod e have moved into theirextreme position.

Owing to the rise of the front part A of the gun barrel its rear portiondescends with the toothed sector a, which rotation of the toothed sector0; causes the drum f to be rotated'in the opposite direction to thatindicated by the arrow y through the medium of the gearing which hasalready been mentioned several times. The drum f is at the same timereturned to the position in which it was situated prior to thecommencement of its rotation by-the motor shaft g and in which theroller f assumes the position on the transition are of the rib f denotedby f which is shown in Fig. 3. The lever f f consequently also passesback again into its central position, in which position the contact ofthe circuit-closing pieces i and f is interrupted. The magnet coils band c are thereby rendered devoid of.

current, so that under the action of the springs b and c the cut-offdevices B and C are quickly closed. With the lever f f,

the piston rod c tOgether with the controlling valve E moves back intothe central position, in which the valve port which ad-' joins the pipe6 .is completely shut ofl. This concludes the controlling operation.

It is obvious with further explanation v that thcoperation, describedmust take place in exactly the samewa'y'when not'a raising but alowering movement of the front part of the'gun barrel A is intended. Forthis purpose it is only necessary to rotate the transmitter shaft h. andconsequently the armature shaftg 'of'the' receiver G in the reversedirection to that in which it waspreviously rotated. This causes thedire'c tion of movementcf'the otherparts con cerned to be likewisereversed, and the cir cuitmlosing piece f isbrought into contact withthe circuit-closing f instead of f.

In consequence hereof the ascending piston rod e ofthe controllingvalveE establishes a connection for the water pressure between the pipes6 c and a so that the piston a has to descend in the cylinder A 1 There-f turn of the controlling valve takes place at thesame time through.the medium of the toothed sector a and the stroke apparatus connectedthereto in a manner which correspends exactly to, that, inwhich theoperation previously took place, hut in'the reverse direction ofrotation. J It 'is' also obvious without further explanation that thegun barrelA need not be at rest, when the transmitter H and consequently the receiver G 'i'sadjustedr, r

- No elaborate explanation is needed either as to how the arrangementdescribed worksif the assumption that the ship neither rolls nor pitchesbe allowed to drop. In this case it is only necessary by suitablyturning the hand wheelh to pointthe telescope f horiz'ontally and thusimpart to the transmitter H an additional rotation that corresponds tothe angle of rolling or pitching of the 'ship. The gun barrel A mustunder all circumstances makethat movement after the closing of theswitch K which corresponds tion with the piston rod e instead of withthe lever arni f By suitably arranging the cut-ofi devlces B and C theworking of these parts mlght

